By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
—
NEWBURYPORT — This year, it is the girls' turn.
As the Pioneer League season gets under way today, softball players will have a field to call their own — Pepe Field, to be exact.
The field was restored over the last several months as the second phase of the Diamond Dreams project, a renovation plan for the park on Merrimac Street.
While the work to Pepe Field began last fall, winter and the rainfall early this spring pushed the restoration deadline down to the wire. Volunteers worked hard last week to finish the work to Pepe Field to get it ready for the girls.
The final touches were made yesterday for today's opening day for the more than 700 kids, ages 6 to 15, who take part in the Pioneer League across 58 teams, 14 of which are softball teams.
"People have stepped up to the plate and helped us get it done," Dino Pantelis, interim president of the Pioneer League said this week. "The girls are excited."
The capital campaign for the public park, which is part of Atkinson Common, is extensive, but is being completed in portions. Last year, the first phase was successfully finished on time — a face-lift to Hawkes-LaPre Field, a new full-length upper field that came about with the elimination of one of the park's four fields.
The Pioneer League plays most of its games at the fields on Merrimac Street. But the league also uses fields at Cashman and Perkins parks, and the senior leagues also play at the high school and Bresnahan fields.
The Diamond Dreams campaign began two years ago with safety in mind. Under its plan, the league will move the parking from the fields from Merrimac Street back in off the road. A curbing mechanism will separate the street from the parking lot and provide buffer space.
Vehicles will park at an angle, and all cars will exit from one spot, which will make it easier for cars to leave the area.
The plan also calls for the playground to be positioned off the street, the Snack Shack to be relocated and a new clubhouse to move to the center of the park.
The baseball and softball fields are receiving new infield grass, new dugouts, fencing and drainage/utilities work.
While the fencing and dugout work was completed by contractors, dozens of volunteers spent long weekend days spreading dirt and sod, and painting and cleaning debris from the park, Pantelis said.
While the park is city property, the Pioneer League maintains it and is in charge of the improvements. The campaign is funded entirely by donations with no city funding going toward the project. Pantelis said the league will consider applying for grants and Community Preservation Act funds as more phases of the campaign unfold.
Phase III will include restoration work to Founders Field, as well as the major portion of the project — the parking relocation plan. Pantelis said the Pioneer League will pursue an intensive fundraising campaign for Phase III.
"We can only do with what we have in the budget," he said.
Pantelis said the league is looking to keep the basketball courts as part of the park, since they are heavily used.
"We don't want to take away recreation uses," he said.
As he makes calls and solicits donations, Pantelis said he has gained an understanding of the importance of the Pioneer League to many Newburyporters, including many adults who fondly remember their summers playing ball.
"You get a sense of the history; people love the Pioneer League," he said. "As we get the word out, it's not a hard sell."
Mike Doyle, the vice-president of long-term planning, said the project is a "great community effort."
While it's been an intensive process to ready Pepe Field for Opening Day, Doyle said it'll all be worth it in one instant.
"All the hard work will pay off when the girls run onto the field," he said. "That makes it all worth it."
